Your guide to Tanzania's wonders

We had a fantastic experience. The consultants at Tanzania Specialist helped us to design a customised safari through the Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater and Tarangire with a week of relaxation in Zanzibar. Our safari guide, Godlisten knew the parks like the back of his hand which allowed us to see more animals than we could have ever imagined. Cannot recommend enough.

We recently traveled with this agency for a safari in Tanzania followed by a holiday in Zanzibar. Overall, our experience was mixed — the safari itself was extraordinary, but the planning and organization outside of it left a lot to be desired. Communication & Booking At first, communication was frustrating. The initial agent we were assigned spoke very poor English, misunderstood simple questions, and even called me “lama” out of nowhere. Eventually, after contacting the head office, we were given a more professional agent and communication improved. The pricing felt quite high for the services provided, though we did not attempt to bargain. Safari Experience The safari itself was unforgettable — we saw the Big Five, witnessed the Great Migration twice, and truly enjoyed the magic of the wild. Our driver, Amishi, was excellent: well-spoken, communicative, and knowledgeable about wildlife. He made us feel safe and taught us a lot, and we are grateful for his guidance. That said, the coordination between lodges and safari routes often felt unlogical. We spent many unnecessary hours driving long distances when closer lodges were available. In one lodge, the host was drunk (though kind), which didn’t inspire much trust given the remote setting. On a more personal note, I had mentioned to the agency before even paying that we were traveling to celebrate my birthday. From a professional company, I expected at least a small gesture, a note, or something special planned — as has always been the case with other agencies during past trips. Instead, nothing was acknowledged: not even a message, not even a word from our driver (he was never informed). To make it worse, my actual birthday ended up being the longest, most exhausting drive of the trip. Thank God I have an amazing man who still made the day feel special, but from the agency there was complete silence. Details & Professionalism Small details matter, especially when you pay a premium. Before traveling, we received an email promising small welcome gifts (a map and reusable bottles). We never received them — only after I asked our driver out of curiosity at the very end of the trip did he go to the office and hand them to us, without any apology. These “small mistakes” show a lack of care that a truly reliable company should never make. Zanzibar Organization This is where the real problems began. The transfer to Zanzibar was poorly handled. After finishing our safari, we were left with a full day in Arusha (from 10 am check-out until an 8 pm flight) without any planned activities or clear guidance. When we asked, the emergency contact arranged an earlier flight, which was appreciated — but the explanation we received (“all earlier flights were fully booked”) was simply not true, as we checked ourselves and saw plenty of available tickets. In Zanzibar, the hotel chosen for us was very mediocre and badly located. Every activity required at least 1.5 hours of driving each way, meaning we spent more time in the car than enjoying the island. The beach at our resort was one of the dirtiest we’ve ever seen (locals later confirmed this part of Zanzibar is known for bad sea conditions). Considering the abundance of excellent hotels in better locations, this choice made no sense. Even worse, the “activities coordinator” assigned to us was completely unresponsive. We followed her instructions to call her if we wanted to book activities, but she never replied. Two days later, we finally received a message from her claiming her phone was stolen — by then, it was already time for us to leave. Thankfully, we organized our own activities with local providers, or our stay would have been a complete waste. Overall This agency clearly knows how to organize a safari — and that’s what they should stick to. The safari experience itself was wonderful, but the lack of logic, professionalism, and honesty in planning the Zanzibar part of our trip was very disappointing. Add to that the lack of attention to details (welcome gifts promised but never delivered, no birthday recognition despite prior notice), and it shows they fall short of what a reliable company should be. For this reason, we cannot give a 5-star rating. Only thanks to the safari do we give 4 stars. Future clients should book their safari confidently, but think twice before trusting this agency with Zanzibar or expecting professional, detail-oriented service.

The safari was everything we expected, and more. Our guide/driver was knowledgeable and accommodating. The proximity to animals was better than we hoped for. Accommodation varied in quality, but the staff in all establishments from lodges to tented camps were friendly and helpful. Roads (all dirt and mostly corrugated) in the parks are terrible and can be wearing but obviously this is not the fault of the safari business.

We have just returned from our safari in Tanzania. We had an exceptional experience with Samuel our guide who was extremely knowledgeable and met our expectations. We were able to see the big 5 in our first two days. We were also able to see an extraordinary Mara river crossing. He was a wonderful guide who had many years experience which he used to make lasting memories. Our trip was well planned by the team at Tanzania Specialist and I was always able to contact them with questions. My family enjoyed the accommodation that was booked and also our time in Zanzibar. We will always remember our trip to Tanzania.

My husband and I just had a wonderful 10 day safari and Zanzibar experience with Tanzania specialists and couldn't be happier with the service! The communication via email was solid during the long research/booking process (with Victoria). Then we had easy and regular communications via What's App with Riziki throughout our trip, which was very smooth. You end up with quite a few different drivers/people (for airport transfers, etc.) and all went well. Lastly, and most importantly, was a fabulous safari driver, Akbar! He was a 35 year veteran of driving safaris and was so very knowledgeable about the terrain, the wildlife and where to go/when to see the best things. We saw the big 5 (Rhinos were tough and we could only catch a glimpse of the top of them but we're counting it!). The lions, elephants, cape buffalo, giraffe, wildebeast, leopard, cheetah, sooo amazing to see and see UP CLOSE! We really appreciate how attentive, safe and knowledgeable he was as your driver can really make or break your trip. Would highly recommend this organization as it's quite big (lots of trucks/drivers) with a lot of resources behind them so if something does happen, you know you'll have people there to help out in no time. The resorts were also quite wonderful, especially the glamping tent in the middle of the Serengetti!! Wow! Thank you so much!

I'm so glad i went with my gut and booked with Tanzania Specialist!! They are very attentive and if issues arise they are right there if there is anything wrong or you need clarification on anything in your itinerary! Our guide Emanuel was absolutely AMAZZZZINNNGGGGGG!!!! You can definitely tell he takes pride in his job and he was so nice and sweet to us and made sure we had everything we needed!!! He was like our father away from home!!! Honestly this is the best experience you will ever have!! I would 100% book with them again!!! For those wondering we did the 10 days half safari half Zanzibar! They organized everything so beautifully. This also allowed us to make friends who also had the same company, we would see each other through out safari activities etc, great way to meet new people as well!! For those who would like to do solo travel this is def a great company to go with as well!! Trust me they are professionals!!

A five star experience , everything was planned perfectly and exactly as promised. From a lovely warm and friendly welcome at the airport from Jackson to wonderful food, lunch packages, dinners in comfortable lodges and tented camps! BUT what made our experience the best was our wonderful guide Jonas Loiruk Mollel! We won the lottery with him!! He goes beyond just driving and pointing out animals. As a driver he was punctual, attentive, alert and responsable. As a guide, he has exceptional knowledge not only about the wildlife but also about birds, flora, the ecosystem, local culture, geography and history, there was no question that he couldn't answer , and we tried!! He could track and spot animals when we couldn't even see them with binoculars, amazing! As a person he is enthusiastic, friendly, kind, engaging, interesting with an amazing sense of humour. He is an educator with a deep respect for the environment and wildlife and above all an excellent host for Tanzania. Thank you Jonas for making our Safari in Tanzania so memorable. Ronald , Avril and Thais

My son (41) and I (75) just returned from our (8 day) African Safari. We were highly pleased and impressed with our safari through Tanzania Specialist. Our safari was personal, just the two of us. Tanzania Specialist is large and well stabilized. The organization of my vacation was perfect, with zero faults. Knowing nothing about Tanzania and Safari when registering, Tanzania Specialist supplied a ton of information, and tailored our vacation to be a good match. The information supplied was useful, for instance: what to pack, how to pack, how to approach tips, and much more. We did not have any issues, with hotel reservations. meals, and time scheduling. All communications before and during the trip were promptly addressed. The guide/driver (Sam) was knowledgeable and loves his job. There was an additional 2 guides, for the night drive we set up with a park ranger (with rifle). Very exciting. We were advised the daily drives would be between 6-7 hours however we only had one day less than 8 hours to our delight. We are pleased to share this review, where I have only great things to share. Trip of a life time....check.

An Unforgettable Experience – Highly Recommended! We can wholeheartedly recommend Tanzania Specialist for an outstanding safari experience. Everything was perfectly organized, making our trip seamless and enjoyable. We booked a 7-day safari tour (plus travel days), and every moment was incredible. Our personal highlight was Lake Manyara National Park—an absolute must-see! Our guide, Benjamin, was exceptional. Hats off to his impressive skills: an outstanding driver, a keen wildlife spotter (no matter how well-hidden the animals were), and a fantastic storyteller with a great sense of humor. The safari vehicle was also remarkably comfortable, even for spending multiple hours each day on bumpy roads. The lodges and hotels were simply wonderful—beautifully located, with incredibly friendly staff and delicious food. Just keep in mind that air conditioning is generally not available in Tanzanian hotel rooms. All in all, we had a flawless experience and can highly recommend Tanzania Specialist. We traveled in late February, which was perfect in terms of both climate and wildlife sightings.